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GiftCardMall.com Named Best in Category in Fourth Annual Paybefore Awards

PLEASANTON, CA--(Marketwire - March 8, 2010) - Blackhawk Network's program GiftCardMall.com was chosen as the Best in Category winner in the Best Web Sales Channel category at the Paybefore Awards on Monday, February 22. Paybefore Awards, now in their fourth year, are the most prestigious recognition of excellence in the worldwide prepaid and stored value card industry. The awards are presented annually by Prepaid Media, whose Paybefore publications are the leading source of industry information for the global prepaid community.

"We launched GiftCardMall.com this year based on the feedback we received from consumers; specifically, what they wanted when shopping online," said Talbott Roche, senior vice president of Blackhawk Network. "It's an honor to be recognized for our hard work, especially from such a well respected company as Prepaid Media."

GiftCardMall.com was selected by a panel of five industry experts who served as judges for this year's competition. A record number of entries from around the world were received.

"Paybefore applauds the leaders in our industry who are applying the flexibility and appeal of prepaid to innovate on behalf of consumers, governments and businesses," said Marilyn Bochicchio, Paybefore CEO and chair of the judging panel. "Blackhawk Network has distinguished itself in a tough field of competition," she continued. "We are proud to recognize its contributions to advancing the use of prepaid products."

GiftCardMall.com is a leading online shop for gift cards, offering consumers convenient access to today's most popular brands. With hundreds of cards to choose from, consumers can find the right gift card for any occasion and easily send it via traditional mail or email. These gift cards are available in standard and occasion-themed designs and many can be customized with personal photos and images. The cards can be used online or in store.

About Blackhawk Network:

Blackhawk Network is a leading provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses. The company's Gift Card Mall™ offers the industry's most popular prepaid gift card and telecom products. Gift Card Mall reaches more than 165 million people each week through an exclusive network of leading grocery, mass, convenience, drug, and specialty stores and is available through Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk Network's business solutions include reward and incentive programs that offer choice and flexibility through a wide array of card brands and custom designed Visa and MasterCard fulfillment options.

Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Blackhawk Network, Inc. has offices in the United States, Australia, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. For more information about Blackhawk Network visit www.blackhawknetwork.com and www.giftcardmall.com

Paybefore is the leading information provider to prepaid and stored value industry professionals, offering the latest news, commentary and analysis. Paybefore's family of industry publications include: Paybefore.com™, a searchable online information portal; Paybefore News™, daily news briefs delivered electronically; Paybefore News International™, a weekly compilation of prepaid news and events from outside the United States; Paybefore Update™, a downloadable enewsletter delivered 20 times a year; Paybefore Legal™, a downloadable enewsletter covering the legislative, regulatory and judicial developments in prepaid, as well as feature articles by leading attorneys in the field; Paybefore Magazine™, a biannual print publication highlighting the best of Paybefore; and Paybefore Buyer's Guide™, available online and in print. Visit us at www.paybefore.com.